Local families happy to see loved ones return from Turkey

HOUSTON – There were mixed emotions at Bush Intercontinental Airport, as passengers arrived from Turkey and others departed.

Catherine Sliva, 18, flew into Houston from Istanbul, Turkey, which was a place of unrest after an attempted military coup.

“It was kinda scary finding out that all the coup stuff happened almost 45 minutes or an hour after we left. It's kinda crazy,” said Sliva.

Her group from Kingsland Baptist Church in Katy was on a mission trip in Jordan. On Friday, her concerned parents waited to celebrate their daughter's birthday.

“What if I'm standing at the airport with these roses and she doesn't get off the plane? It could've happened, but it didn't. God is faithful,” said her mother, Cara Sliva.

But feelings of relief turned to concern for Efe Ozkan.

“My family is all texting me saying just mass confusion,” said Ozkan.

He's a Turkish citizen who came to Texas for a month and was headed back home.

“I feel bad because 80 million people in my country are suffering and this just shouldn't happen. It's not good for nobody. It's not good for our country and it's certainly not good for me,” said Ozkan.


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